U.S. patent application number 13/276692 was filed with the patent office on 2013-04-25 for air duct arrangement for cooling a group of at least two heat producing modules.
This patent application is currently assigned to Danfoss A/S. The applicant listed for this patent is Michael Feller, Bryan Kranyik, Gary Schneider. Invention is credited to Michael Feller, Bryan Kranyik, Gary Schneider.
Application Number | 20130100610 13/276692 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47137972 |
Filed Date | 2013-04-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130100610 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schneider; Gary ; et
al. |
April 25, 2013 |
AIR DUCT ARRANGEMENT FOR COOLING A GROUP OF AT LEAST TWO HEAT
PRODUCING MODULES
Abstract
An air duct arrangement for cooling a group (1) of at least two
heat producing modules is provided, said modules (2, 3) being
arranged one after the other in the direction of an air flow
through said group (1), said air duct arrangement comprising an air
path (5, 6) for each module (2, 3). The cooling of modules of a
group of modules with cooling air should be enabled with only small
space requirements. To this end said air paths (5, 6) are arranged
in parallel along a lengthwise direction from a first side of said
group (1) to a second side of said group (1), said second side
being opposite to the first side, said air path (5, 6) changing
their order in a direction perpendicular to said lengthwise
direction in a region (13) between said two modules (2, 3).
Inventors: |
Schneider; Gary; (Saint
Charles, IL) ; Kranyik; Bryan; (Loves Park, IL)
; Feller; Michael; (Machesney Park, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Schneider; Gary
Kranyik; Bryan
Feller; Michael |
Saint Charles
Loves Park
Machesney Park |
IL
IL
IL |
US
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Danfoss A/S
Nordborg
DK
|
Family ID: |
47137972 |
Appl. No.: |
13/276692 |
Filed: |
October 19, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/690 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K 7/20145 20130101;
H05K 7/20572 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
361/690 |
International
Class: |
H05K 7/20 20060101
H05K007/20 |
Claims
1. An air duct arrangement for cooling a group of at least two heat
producing modules, said modules being arranged one after the other
in the direction of an air flow through said group, said air duct
arrangement comprising an air path for each module, wherein said
air paths are arranged in parallel along a lengthwise direction
from a first side of said group to a second side of said group,
said second side being opposite to the first side, said air paths
changing their order in a direction perpendicular to said
lengthwise direction in a region between said at least two
modules.
2. The air duct arrangement according to claim 1, wherein each air
path runs partly through a module and partly on a side of another
module, said side being the same for all modules.
3. The air duct arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a
changeover section is arranged in the region between said two
modules.
4. The air duct arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said
changeover section comprises a separating wall separating adjacent
air paths from each other.
5. The air duct arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said
separating wall has a twisted form.
6. The air duct arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said
separating wall divides said air duct arrangement in two halves
parallel to said lengthwise direction.
7. The air duct arrangement according to claim 2, wherein a
changeover section is arranged in the region between said two
modules.
8. The air duct arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said
separating wall divides said air duct arrangement in two halves
parallel to said lengthwise direction.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an air duct arrangement for
cooling a group of at least two heat producing modules, said
modules being arranged one after the other in the direction of an
air flow through said group, said air duct arrangement comprising
an air path for each module.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Such an air duct arrangement is known from U.S. Pat. No.
5,136,464. The modules are arranged one above the other. The
cooling air for the lower module is guided from the bottom of the
lower module to the top of the lower module. A confluence
preventing section being V-shaped is arranged on the top of the
lower module guiding the cooling air having an elevated temperature
to two opposing sides of the group of modules. Cooling air for the
upper module is drawn from the other pair of opposing sides of the
group to pass from the lower side of the upper module to the upper
side of the upper module. The confluence preventing section
prevents mixing of the air stream from the lower module with the
air stream of cooler air supplied to the upper module.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,193 B2 discloses a rack-mounted
equipment blowing cooling air from the front side of the
rack-mounted equipment to the back side. The air to the front side
is supplied via a channel arranged at the front side. The air to
this channel is supplied with the help of a plurality of fans.
[0004] When two or more heat producing modules are arranged one
after the other in the direction of an air flow through said group
only the first module can be cooled with fresh cooling air having a
sufficient low temperature to achieve cooling. However, the next
and the following module receive cooling air having already an
elevated temperature so that the cooling effect is reduced. As
shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,464 the cooling effect can be made
almost the same for two modules by separating the air flows through
the two modules. However, the prior art solution requires an air
access to the group of modules from all sides, i.e. not only from
the front or back side, but also from the remaining other two
sides.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The task underlying the invention is to enable cooling
modules of a group of modules with cooling air with only small
space requirements.
[0006] This task is solved in an air duct arrangement of the kind
mentioned above in that said air path are arranged in parallel
along a lengthwise direction from a first side of said group to a
second side of said group, said second side being opposite to said
first side, said air path changing their order in a direction
perpendicular to said lengthwise direction in a region between said
two modules.
[0007] In order to facilitate the further explanation an example of
a group of modules is used having two modules, said modules being
arranged one above the other. However, the invention is not limited
to such an example. The air flow can be produced by air flow
generating means, like a fan, and in this case the modules can be
arranged one after the other in any desired direction. Furthermore,
there can be more than only two modules.
[0008] With the solution mentioned above it is possible to supply
fresh cooling air to each module. The lower module is cooled by
cooling air entering the lower side of the lower module or at least
an air path cooling said lower module. In a direction from the
front to the back of the lower module this air path is the first
air path. The cooling air for the upper module is guided through an
air path on the back side of the lower module, e.g. outside the
lower module. In the direction from the front to the back side of
the lower module this is the second air path. In this way the
cooling air in the second air path is not influenced by heat
generated by the lower module. In a region between the lower module
and the upper module the two air paths change their order in the
direction from the front to the back side of the modules. After the
change of order the air path guiding the air for cooling the upper
module is the first air path in the direction from the front to the
back side of an upper module and the air path guiding the cooling
air of the lower module is the second air path in the direction
from the front to the back side of the upper module. This cooling
air has already an elevated temperature. However, this is no
problem since the elevated temperature of the cooling air of the
lower module does not influence the heat removal in the upper
module.
[0009] Preferably each air path runs partly through a module and
partly on a side of another module, said side being the same for
all modules. In the example mentioned above the air paths run in
one section through the associate modules and in another section on
the back side of the other modules. The other three sides of the
modules are free accessible for other purposes.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment a changeover section is arranged
in the region between said two modules. The changeover section can
be designed to throttle the air flow through the air path not more
than unavoidable and hence the cooling effect of the cooling air
flowing through the air path remains almost unchanged.
[0011] Preferably said changeover section comprises a separating
wall separating adjacent air paths from each other. This separating
wall is formed so that the change of order can be achieved.
[0012] In this case it is preferred that said separating wall has a
twisted form. The separating wall can be formed by a sheet metal or
any other sheet like material in which one end is twisted relative
to the other end in lengthwise direction by 180.degree.. This is a
simple way to change the order of the air paths in a direction
perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the air paths without
creating turbulences by sharp edges or the like.
[0013] Preferably said separating wall divides said air duct
arrangement in two halves parallel to said lengthwise direction.
The separating wall can run through the whole length of the air
duct arrangement. However, in a preferred embodiment it runs only
through the changeover section and in the remaining part of the air
duct arrangement the two air paths are separated by the back side
of the respective modules.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be
described in more detail with reference to the drawing,
wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a group of two
modules,
[0016] FIG. 2 is a front view of said group and
[0017] FIG. 3 shows sections of the group shown in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] FIG. 1 schematically shows a group 1 of two modules 2, 3.
Both modules 2, 3 produce heat. Such modules can be for example
drives for electrical machines. The heat is unavoidably generated
by losses of electrical energy.
[0019] In order to remove said heat and to keep the temperature of
the modules 2, 3 below a predetermined level, a heat duct
arrangement 4 is provided. This heat duct arrangement 4 comprises a
first air path 5 (symbolized by arrows) for the first module 2 and
a second air path 6 (symbolized by arrows as well) for the second
module 3. These air paths 5, 6 are arranged in parallel in a
direction from the lower side of said group 1 to the upper side of
said group 1. The orientation of the modules 2, 3 in space is not
limited to a vertical orientation. Therefore, the terms "lower" and
"upper" are used in order to facilitate the explanation. The stack
of modules 2, 3 in the group 1 can have any desired
orientation.
[0020] The air paths 5, 6 run partly through the modules 2, 3
associated to each air path 5, 6, and partly on the back side 7 of
the module 2 or the back side 8 of the module 3, respectively.
[0021] As can be seen in FIG. 1 the air paths 5, 6 have an order in
a direction from a front side 9 of the lower module 2 to the back
side 7 of the lower module 2. In the region of the lower module 2
the air path 5 is the first air path and the air path 6 is the
second air path.
[0022] In the region of the upper module 3 the order has changed.
In the region of the upper module 3 the air path 6 is the first air
path in a direction from the front side 10 of the upper module 3 to
the back side 8 of the upper module 3 and the air path 5 is the
second air path.
[0023] In this way it is possible to guide the air in the first air
path 5 through the lower module and than at the back side 8 of the
upper module 3. The second air path 6 is guided on the back side 7
of the lower module 2 and then through the upper module 3. In this
way the front sides 9, 10 of the modules 2, 3 and the lateral faces
11, 12 (FIG. 2) can be kept free. These sides are accessible for
other purposes.
[0024] In order to enable the change of order of the two air paths
5, 6, in an intermediate region 13 between the two modules 2, 3 a
changeover section 14 is arranged.
[0025] FIG. 3 shows different cross sections of the changeover
section 14, these sections being taken on positions indicated by
the five lines connecting the FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and 3e with FIG.
2.
[0026] FIG. 3a schematically shows the sections of the air paths 5,
6 at the upper end of the lower module 2. In this embodiment the
air path 5 has a somewhat larger section than the air path 6.
Electric components are arranged in the air path 5 which have to be
cooled. However, the sections of two air paths 5, 6 may be equal or
the section of air path 6 may be larger than that of air path
5.
[0027] FIGS. 3b to 3d show sections of the changeover section 14
showing a separating wall 15 dividing said air duct arrangement 4
in the region of the changeover section 14 in two halves parallel
to said lengthwise direction, these two halves having in this
embodiment the same cross section area. However, the cross section
areas can be different.
[0028] The separating wall 15 is twisted. It starts at the back
side 7 of the lower module 2 with it's lower end and ends at the
back side 8 of the upper module 3 with it's upper end. The
separating wall 15 is twisted between the two modules 2, 3, i.e.
the upper end of the separating wall 15 is rotated relative to the
lower end of the separating wall 15 by 180.degree..
[0029] In this way it is possible to guide the cooling air for the
upper module 3 through the air path 6 outside of the lower module 2
and to guide the cooling air from the lower module 2 outside the
upper module 3 without needing more than just the back side 7, 8 of
the two modules 2, 3. No additional space is necessary. The total
width of the air duct arrangement 1 is not wider than the total
width of the two modules 2, 3 (as seen in the front view of FIG.
2). Air flow remains "bottom" to "top" of the group 1, i.e. there
is a well defined entrance of cooling air at the bottom and a well
defined exit of cooling air at the top of the group 1.
[0030] While the present invention has been illustrated and
described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it
should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that
various modifications to this invention may be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
* * * * *